Things You'll Need:
- Saddle with a deep seat
- Snaffle bit
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Step 1
Grow comfortable with a regular, rhythmic trot before attempting the extended trot. Learn to sit and to post and practice lengthening your leg during the sitting trot to provide more motion absorption.
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Step 2
Learn the cue to ask for an extended trot. On horseback, you'll want to sit deep in the saddle and use calf pressure to urge the horse into an extension. Contact with the horse's mouth is equally important, as you don't want to speed up the trot, but extend the horse's front legs.
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Step 3
Determine whether you can sit the extended trot. Some horses have a bouncy trot that makes sitting more difficult and you don't want to learn this important movement while getting jarred around in the saddle. Furthermore, posting sometimes encourages a more extended trot by pushing with the seat on the downswing of each post.
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Step 4
Ask the horse for an extension on the straightaway of the arena or field. Extensions aren't practical on corners and will simply confuse the horse, so wait until you've completed the corner before giving the appropriate cue.
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Step 5
Give the horse a half-halt (see Resources below) if he starts to speed up the trot (moving his legs faster). An extension shouldn't increase the pace of the trot, but should instead maintain a steady rhythm with a much longer stride.
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Step 6
Reward the horse for giving you an extended trot by bringing him back to a working trot and patting his neck. The extension should end before you come to the next corner in the arena.
